


Carve and Burn

by noahliza



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Angst, Self-Harm, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, its galolio but thats not the focus here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-28
Updated: 2020-02-28
Packaged: 2021-02-19 17:56:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22935535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noahliza/pseuds/noahliza
Summary: Lio isn't Burnish any more, he's learning the hard way to be careful. Without the Promare, there's no regeneration.
Kudos: 40





	Carve and Burn

**Author's Note:**

> i wrestled with myself for a while if i should post this or not due to the sensitive content, but. its happening, i'm posting it. lol.
> 
> short fic based off an idea a friend had, that i made worse and shoved lio into

It hadn’t been a bad day, not really. It had just been too long since he’d answered the call. All Burnish heard the call of their flames to  _ burn, more, more _ — but this was Lio’s alone. A quiet thing that no one knew, that Lio had known not to share with anyone. The quiet call to  _ cut, slice, carve. _

He’d slowly had to adjust his methods over time, the Burnish regeneration making it difficult for him to get what he wanted out of it. Used different tools, gone deeper and deeper.

He knew, of course, that he had to ease up now. The Promare were gone now, he had to pull back, be more careful. He couldn’t be reckless with it any more.

He readied the knife, and dragged the cutting edge against his arm, into his skin — into the flesh. He’d gone too deep.  _ Too deep. _

Lio dropped his knife, letting it clatter loudly on the bathroom tile. He sat frozen in place, watching the blood flow freely down his arm. 

It hurt.

It hurt so bad.

Had it ever hurt this bad before?

Lio wondered if the regeneration had dulled his pain in the past, as panic rose and swelled inside him, making him feel sick. The blood kept coming, flowing in thick drips and rivulets. Bright, scarlet red.

He faintly realized he’d started hyperventilating. The blood flowed down his arm, dripping messily on the tile.

Galo crouched down in front of him, and Lio blinked in confusion.  _ When did he come in? _

“…Galo…?” 

He looked so worried. Lio had never seen him look this worried before. _ Ever. _ He couldn’t help but wonder, though, if Galo had been this worried when he saved Lio from the Promatech Engine.

He wasn’t sure. All he remembered was agony, and then he was gone, awareness faded to a minimum. Then, he was on the ground, with Galo close above him. That was all he had to go off of.

Lio’s mind swam languidly despite his panic, and he realized he was starting to get dizzy.

There was a pressure on his arm now — such a gentle pressure. Galo held a towel around his arm with one hand, his cell phone in the other.

He was saying something about needing a ride. Something about  _ ‘please, hurry’ _ . Lio wasn’t sure he’d ever heard Galo say  _ please _ before.

It was a strange thing to hear.

Lio was starting to feel faint, but he still raised his good arm, pressed his hand to Galo’s cheek in an attempt to comfort him.

“ _ Don’t worry, it’s okay _ .” 

Galo nodded. “I’ll make sure of it.”

Lio smiled tiredly at him, rubbed his thumb gently against Galo’s cheek.

The next thing he knew, Lio was being gently lifted up and carried into a car — was being rushed to the hospital. They arrived at the emergency room in what seemed like no time at all.

He knew  _ embarrassment _ , of all emotions, was the wrong thing to feel. He couldn’t stop it, though. Couldn’t stop the hot wash of shame at the fact that  _ this _ is the thing that hospitalizes him. Not anything rescue-related, not any accidental injury, just his own stupid decision. His own lack of precision.

The hospital staff tell him he’s lucky, so so lucky, that he didn’t seriously damage anything in his arm. He’d missed the artery, narrowly avoided bleeding out in Galo’s apartment bathroom. Galo was scarily quiet, when they told Lio how fortunate he was.

Stitches were sewn, gauze and bandages applied; and Lio lied through his teeth about what happened.

He wasn’t sure if his lies were believed — probably not — or if the hospital simply didn’t want the former leader of Mad Burnish for an inpatient. Either way, it worked out. Lio was released to go home, alive, with a small bottle of cheap orange juice and instructions to be more careful.

A car pulled up after he and Galo walked outside, Galo allowing Lio to lean tiredly against him. Lio realized Ignis had brought them to the hospital.

It was a bit scary, very intimidating, being in the backseat of Ignis’ car. But, Ignis didn’t comment or question, aside from a quick  _ ‘glad you’re okay’ _ . It was comforting to hear.

They were dropped off outside Galo’s apartment, and they went back inside as quickly as Lio’s sluggish body would let him.

Galo all but collapsed onto the couch in relief that the ordeal was over. Lio timidly sat next to him, but quickly decided to curl around Galo instead. Galo shifted them both a bit, careful not to touch Lio’s wounded arm. Lio tucked his head into Galo’s shoulder and cried.

Galo quickly wrapped Lio in his arms, holding Lio close as he cried a wordless, then worded apology. 

“ _ I’m sorry. _ ”

“It’s okay.”

“ _ I’m so sorry. _ ”

“It’ll be okay. You’re okay.”

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading, please be kind ^^;
> 
> if you're interested, my twitter is [here](https://twitter.com/strawberiglitch)


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